Deadpool and Wolverine ending explained: From Cassandra Nova’s fate to that shawarma gag

Deadpool and Wolverine has finally arrived, and boy, what an ending! From Achilles heel-slicing and nonconsensual mind-entering to villains quite literally short-circuiting and heroes messing with the Marvel timeline – there’s a lot that goes on. 

Fear not, though, because we’ve rounded up every major event that takes place in the third act of Deadpool and Wolverine. So if you missed something or if you’re just masochistic when it comes to spoilers, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ll start with a recap and then move onto your burning questions: who dies? Where does this leave Wolverine? What’s next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, now that Deadpool and Wolverine have officially joined? Scroll on down for our guide – which is, and this is your last warning, bursting with huge spoilers – to the ending of the Merc with a Mouth’s latest film… 

Deadpool and Wolverine recap

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

While in the Void, Logan and Wade run into none other than Blade (Wesley Snipes), Elektra (Jennifer Garner), Gambit (Channing Tatum), and X-23 (Dafne Keen). The group makes a plan to storm Cassandra Nova’s (Emma Corrin) lair, obtain the Juggernaut’s helmet, and use it to suppress Cassandra’s powers in order to force her to get them back to Earth 10005. The group takes on her ruthless group of thugs, with Deadpool and Wolverine managing to reach Cassandra’s throne. 

While she digs around in Logan’s mind, X-23 manages to retrieve the helmet and throw it up to hm. Unbeknownst to them, Pyro has made a deal with Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) to kill Cassandra – and he fires several shots seconds after Deadpool puts the helmet on her head.

Logan decides against killing Cassandra (who is their only ticket out of the Void), and she uses a sling ring she swiped from an “amateur magician” she murdered to open an Inter-Dimensional portal to Earth-10005. While Paradox is getting the Time Ripper up and running, Cassandra co-opts it in an attempt to destroy every single universe in the multiverse, until there is nothing left but the Void. She sends a plethora of Deadpool variants to fight off Deadpool and Wolverine, knowing that because the variants can regenerate, the fighting will never end. 

Luckily, Peter (Rob Delaney) shows up in his Peterpool suit and happily distracts the variants – who they basically regard as their hero. Deadpool and Wolverine make their way to Paradox’s base and demand to know how to shut down the Time Ripper. He explains that someone would need to go underground and create an energy bridge between its matter and antimatter power sources, which would shortcircuit the machine – though the person who creates the bridge would almost certainly die. Both Logan and Wade fight over who’s going to be the one to do it.

Wracked with guilt over not being able to save his own world, Wolverine urges Deadpool to let him create the bridge. “You got a whole family waiting. I got nothing,” he says as he hands Wade the bloodied photograph of Vanessa, Blind Al, Peter and co. “Lemme have this.” For a moment, it looks like Deadpool will, too, but he interrupts Logan’s self-sacrifice, locking the mutant out of the underground bunker, and hitching himself to the power sources instead.

As Deadpool starts to disintegrate, Wolverine manages to break down the door, and takes Deadpool’s hand, strengthening the bridge and causing the Time Ripper  to explode, atomizing Cassandra Nova with it. Paradox is arrested by the TVA for going rogue, and Wade and Logan go get some shawarma to celebrate saving the day.

Who dies in Deadpool and Wolverine?

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It’s a hefty third act. When Cassandra Nova uses the portal to multiverse her way into Earth-10005, she brings Pyro with her – and snaps his neck while her fingers are quite literally inside his head. Moments after, she sends a hoard of Deadpool variants (AKA the Deadpool Corps) from the Void to distract Deadpool and Wolverine from getting in the way of her evil plan to destroy the multiverse using the Time Ripper. During the Deadpool vs. Deadpools fight, Nicepool, who is unable to regenerate, is used as a human shield during the battle – resulting in his head being blown clean off.

When Deadpool and Wolverine manage to successfully shut down the Time Ripper, Cassandra Nova explodes along with it. 

What happens to Logan?

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After saving the entire multiverse, Wade and Logan go get some shawarma. Though Logan tells Wade that he won’t be sticking around, we cut to Wade introducing him to his roommate Blind Al. Logan then ends up around the table with Wade and the people he loves most, implying that the X-Man has now joined the friend group as one of those important individuals – which makes our hearts soar.

What happens to all the Deadpool variants?

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Though Nicepool can’t regenerate, the rest of the Deadpool variants can – which would make the fight neverending. Luckily, they become distracted – and elated – when Peterpool shows up. As Lady Deadpool (Blake Lively) tells us, every Deadpool has a Peter. While the variants’ attention is elsewhere, Deadpool and Wolverine sneak away – and Peter presumably leads the variants into the portal and back to the Void.

What happens to Paradox?

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After his takeover of the TVA ultimately proves unsuccessful, the proper authorities arrest Paradox for his multiverse-threatening crimes.

What happens to Blade, Elektra, Gambit, and X-23?

(Image credit: Warner Home Video)

The four take on Cassandra Nova’s cronies, successfully killing the majority of them, but not before Alioth comes and seemingly gobbles everyone up. 

After the TVA arrests Paradox, Deadpool asks if they can rescue Blade, Elektra, Gambit, and X-23 – to which the agent replies that they’ll “see what they can do.” This means that their fate is more or less up in the air.

It’s worth noting that Logan is seen chatting to Laura/X-23 at Wade’s aforementioned get-together, which either means that the TVA made good on their promise or it’s a version of her from another timeline.

What’s next for Deadpool?

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Prior to the film’s release, Kevin Feige’s stated that Deadpool and Wolverine would usher a new “Mutant era” for Marvel. Because of the inclusion of X-Men characters in the film, the door is now open for our favorite team of mutants to officially join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

You might also recall that Paradox tells Wade not once, but twice, that he’s been “chosen for a higher purpose” and will likely play a part in saving the Sacred Timeline in the future. This means that our favorite foul-mouthed hero will probably be back at some point in the near future (and it’d be kind of cool to watch him and Loki go from enemies to buddies).

Deadpool and Wolverine is in UK cinemas now, and releases in the US on July 26. For more, check out all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way, as well as our guide to how to watch the Marvel movies in order.